Triplets of Hogwarts
by Riddle Road
Summary: Lance, Prism, and Liona Summonara transfer to Hogwarts from Spirit-Song Academy in America. Liona seems to have some secret, but only Hermione is picking up on it. Now why is that?
1. The First Encounter

ONE  
~The First Encounter~  
  
"Liona, come on!" A lanky redhead called to her supposed sister. The   
identical girl was pulling an unruly-looking bunch of small faerie-like   
creatures.  
"Then come take your own Djinni!" She shouted back.  
"Fine! Luff, Breeze, Daina, come!" The two light blue and one silver   
Djinni flittered out of Liona's grasp and over to her sister.   
Consequently, Liona fell over from the sudden lack of strain.  
"Owww..." She muttered. One of her own silver Djinn flew over to make   
sure she was alright. "Yes, I'm okay. Sorry about that."  
"Come ON, Liona!" She called again.  
"I know, I'm coming already, Prism." Far ahead, a redhead boy tapped his   
foot impatiently.  
"You two are going to make me late for the sale if you don't hurry up!"   
He yelled to them. Not too far away, another redhead boy did the same   
thing.  
"Harry! Harry, are you almost done over there? You have the fastest broom   
there is anyway!"  
"Just a second, Ron!"  
"Waiting for someone?" The first redhead asked the other wryly.  
"Ha! It's like waiting on a snail." He extended his hand. "Ron Weasley."  
"Lance Coldflame. Nice to meet you."  
"Likewise."  
"Who you waiting for?"  
"My friend Harry. He's impossible to drag away from that broom shop even   
with school supplies to find."  
"Hogwarts?" Lance asked interestedly.  
"Yeah. Where do you go?"  
"I'm just transferring into Hogwarts. Me and my sisters-" he motioned at   
the two slowly approaching girls, "-just moved here from America and were   
accepted right away."  
"Impressive. I've never known anyone to enter in their later years." He   
paused. "How old are you, anyway?"  
"Fifteen."  
"And your sisters?"  
"The same. We're triplets." Ron gaped.  
"You're kidding! Wow. Say, if you're from America, why don't you have   
that aweful hilbilly accent?" Lance just laughed and never got a chance to   
answer.  
"Because we picked this one up fast. Auditory learning and perfect recall   
is just one of those gifts passed in our family, I guess." One of the   
girls said. "Liona Coldflame."  
"Ron Weasley."  
"Did I miss anything?" Prism called. "Oh hi! I'm Prism. Sorry about all   
that." Liona gave Prism a cold stare which Prism either didn't notice or   
decided to ignore. It appeared that a thought occurred to Lance.  
"Say Ron, if you're shopping for Hogwarts, would you mind if we came   
along? We don't exactly know where anything is."  
"Sure! That sounds great, that is, if you can help me get Harry away from   
the shop." A light shone in Liona's eyes and she walked up next to Ron.  
"Harry Potter, you say?" She asked. Ron sighed in return.  
"Yes, please don't make a big deal out of it. He's really tired of being   
famous." A smile tugged at a corner of her mouth and she winked.  
"No problem."  
"Thanks." Then, louder, "Harry! Come on! You're making our new friends   
wait!" Harry finally looked over and saw Liona. Her predominant   
characteristic was her wavy, red, pigtailed hair; but long-lashed amethyst   
eyes were a close second. Third was most likely the strangely-shaped tatoo   
on the corner of her right cheekbone.  
"Our new friends?" Ron nodded.  
"Liona, Prism, and Lance Coldflame. They're transferring into Hogwarts   
and in our year." Harry quickly composed himself.  
"Well, let's go then I guess." The group headed down Diagon Alley and   
into Flourish and Blotts, as usual.  
"Welcome, what can I do for you?" The shopkeep asked.  
"We need the books on this list, kindly. A set for each of us." Harry   
replied. The man looked it over.  
"Hogwarts students, eh? You need quite a bunch this year. I'll be right   
back." There was a long pause as soon as he left. Such peace, however, was   
not to be found for long.  
"Potter!" All heads turned to see Draco Malfoy. "Weasley, surprised to   
see you in here. Got the money to buy books this year, have you?" Liona   
noted amusedly that Ron's ears turned red.  
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked through partially-clenched teeth.  
"Just to say hello to my 'favorite' Gryffindors and..." He looked at the   
triplets. "...you three?" Liona pushed her way in front of Ron and Harry,   
extending her hand.  
"Liona Coldflame, Prism and Lance. I can tell it's supposed to be a real   
pleasure meeting you." A twitch of annoyance or pleasure... Harry couldn't   
tell which... flicked at Malfoy's nose. He shook hands with Liona,   
appearing slightly bemused.  
"Algiz and Dagaz?"  
"And Sowulo." The partial smile flicked once again. "On my left hand."  
"Ah." He looked her up and down once more before walking away and calling   
one comment behind. "I'll be seeing you in Slytherin!" Harry gaped at her   
in some combination of awe and horror. Her violet eyes were narrowed to   
slits, following Malfoy away from the building.  
"Does she seem like a Slytherin to you?" Ron whispered to Harry.  
"She wouldn't apparently qualify for anything else but Gryffindor with   
all that determination and courage."  
"Your books!" The shopkeep called, surprising everybody out of their   
trances. "That's nine galleons and five sickles apeice... thank you." The   
company all paid (Harry secretly slipping a couple galleons into Ron's   
bag) and set off for the rest of the shops. Everything proved uneventful   
until they headed to Ollivanders for wands for the triplets.  
"Mister Ollivander!" Harry called into the back of the shop.  
"Hello Harry, Ron." The farmiliar, quiet voice said, startling Lance and   
Prism. "Leading these three to their new wands, are you?"  
"Yessir, Mr. Ollivander." Ron replied somewhat sheepishly.  
"How about I start with this young lady here?" He asked, and put a white   
hand on Prism's shoulder. "What's your name, dearie?"  
"P-Prism Coldflame."  
"And your wand arm?"  
"Right."  
"Very good, very good." His magical tape measure went straight to work,   
measuring all sorts of appendages on the frightened girl. Mr. Ollivander   
himself went looking through the wands. "Let's try this first." He pulled   
out one of the skinny boxes and the measure dropped to the ground.   
"Redwood with a dragon heartstring, 14 inches. Very firm." She took an   
awkward hold of the long thing and gave it an experimental swish. "No, no.   
Afraid not. It is the wand that chooses the wizard though. We'll just keep   
trying." He looked for a moment longer. "How about this... maple and a   
unicorn horn, 9 and three-quarters inches. Rather bent in the middle." At   
her wave, boxes from one side of the room flew everywhere and he snatched   
the wand back. "DEFINITELY not!" He pulled another from the shelf and   
handed it to her. "This one is nice and whippy... willow, unicorn hair, 10   
and a quarter inches." A blush spread across her cheeks and silver sparks   
flew from the new wand. Harry was trying to recall where he had heard that   
particular phrase before, staring at the ponytailed redhead.  
"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander." Prism said quietly.  
"My pleasure, dearie." He motioned for another to come.  
"Lance Coldflame, sir." He introduced himself. Mr. Ollivander's eyes   
flicked from Harry to Lance and back.  
"I beleive I know just what wand you could do with." He reached for a   
high-up box. "Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and   
flexible." Lance had hardly had any fun and ice blue sparks flew from the   
wand. This time Harry was absolutely confounded until...  
"Mr. Ollivander, didn't I try that wand?"  
"Yes I beleive you did, Harry." His smile was unreadable. "Now you,   
Liona. Come here." Prism exchanged glances with Lance.  
"How does he know her name?" She asked.  
"I have my ways, Prism." Ollivander answered.  
"What's your wand hand?"  
"My left." He smiled.  
"Rare, that. Now let me see here... ah! Apple, unicorn hair, seven and a   
half inches. Rather firm." Nothing was produced from that and he gave her   
an odd look. "Hmm... you looked accustomed to apple wood. Perhaps...   
cherry, dragon heartstring, fifteen inches. Bendable." The flower vase   
blew up on account of that attempt. "Goodness, not that. Perchance this   
though. Ash, pheonix feather, fourteen and a quarter inches. Somewhat   
pliable." His record book flew away. "Dear me." The pile of used wands   
heaped up further and further until suddenly it seemed an idea struck him   
and he grabbed one of the boxes off the floor that Prism had knocked over   
with her wand mishaps. "This one. Oak, pheonix feather, thirteen and a   
half inches. Strong and powerful." Liona whipped it around her left side   
and a ranbow erupted, flying out the window at it's first chance. There   
was a moment of silence. "Bravo! Well done indeed!"  
"Good show there, Liona!" Ron congratulated her.  
"Yes, I've never seen anything like that before." Prism added.  
"Thanks, everybody." Liona said, blushing scarlet. "Here's your money,   
Mr. Ollivander."  
"Yes, thank you. I do hope it lasts a long while."  
"Me as well." The others filtered out of the shop.  
"Good luck there, Mistress Blackfire. Try not to cause too much havoc."   
Liona smiled slyly.  
"I'll try. Good day."  
"Good day." 


	2. Edge of Destiny

TWO  
~Edge of Destiny~  
  
"Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters?" Prism asked, looking at her ticket.   
"What does it mean, 'Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters'? There isn't such a   
thing!"  
"Calm down, sis!" Liona urged frantically. Lance watched the two   
fighting. "Harry and Ron said they'd meet us here at twenty till." she   
tapped her watch.  
"I'm not panicking!" Prism replied in a near-shout.  
"BOTH of you, cool it." Lance countered.  
"YOU STAY OUT OF IT!" They yelled at him. He backed against the wall,   
hands waving peace in front of him.  
"Sorry, just Liona shouldn't get so excited." Said girl clapped her hands   
over her mouth, but not as if that hid it particularily much.  
"Liona! Lance! Prism!" Ron's voice called from behind them. He walked up   
right next to the startled girl. "Liona, you ok? You don't look so well.   
Maybe you should have Hermione check you out."  
"No... no I'm fine, really." She took a deep breath and exhaled on an   
unmistakable sigh.  
"Well... ok. If you're sure you're alright..."  
"Yea. I'm good." He made a small sort of puzzled face. "An american   
colloqualism. It means the same thing as 'I'm okay'."  
"Are you american?" Hermione asked, approaching from behind them.  
"Mm-hm." Prism nodded. "We just moved here this summer."  
"And did you have a magic school there too?" Hermione seemed about as   
interested in the subject as Mr. Weasley with Muggles.  
"Mm. It was Spirit-Song Academy." They began absently walking toward the   
barrier.  
"Spirit-Song? I've heard of it. Started by Seera Spirit, Echo Timestar,   
Haley Windplanet... and..." she paused uncertainly, "...goodness, it's   
been so long since I read that book. I was a second year then..." Lance   
and Prism gaped at the fact that Liona and Hermione had just walked   
through what appeared to be a solid wall. Ron stared for a different   
reason.  
"Harry..." he asked of the friend who had just approached. "Did Liona   
just walk through the barrier without even looking twice?" Harry nodded.  
"That's what it looks like." On Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, Liona   
was finishing the list of founders of Spirit-Song.  
"The others were Crystal Earthi, Sadzi Void, and Lioness Blackfire."   
Hermione nodded.  
"That's them. Is Lioness Blackfire related to you? Your name is Liona   
Coldflame, correct?"  
"Yep. That's me!" Both girls laughed.  
"Is that sort of thing a common type of joke in america?"  
"Yea, pretty much. Most of our jokes are rather pointless, made up solely   
to amuse people with little or no brain power."  
"I was under the impression that america was an intelligent country." She   
answered wryly. Liona smiled widely.  
"Where'd you get that idea?" Hermione looked back at Ron and Harry, who   
were approaching.  
"I'll be right back, alright?" Liona gave a nod of acnowledgement.   
Partially across the station were another identical pair of redhead twins.   
One of them was watching the girl of the moment with great curiosity.  
"Say, Fred?" He pulled his brother's attention, pointing. "Dosen't she   
look a bit like that girl Bill and Charlie used to know back when we were   
first years?" Prism ran up to Liona, talking animatedly. They exchanged   
glances.  
"She's got a TWIN. An identical twin!" Both smiled, and walked up to the   
girls.  
"Hello. Just noticed you here. I'm George Weasley."  
"And I'm Fred." Liona shifted her gaze smoothly from Prism up to Fred and   
George.  
"Ron's brothers?" Prism asked.  
"Yes. Well, two of them anyway." George replied.  
"Well it's nice to meet you. I'm Liona Coldflame, and this is Prism."  
"A pleasure, m'lady." Fred took Liona's outstreched hand (initially   
intended for a handshake) and kissed it right on the rune Algiz. "Would   
you care to accompany us onto the school train?" A slight redness tinged   
her eyelids and ears.  
"Why I would lo-" She was cut off by Ron's exclamation as the others   
approached.  
"Oh NO." He groaned. "Two sets of identical redhead twins..." Harry's   
mouth twitched into a smile.  
"It looks almost as if we found two more Weasleys." At that, Liona's ears   
and eyelids turned scarlet. A whistle blew.   
"Ah! We'd better get on the train before all the compartments are taken!"   
Hermione squealed. Everyone scrambled for the train, managing to secure   
one of the mid-section compartments a minute or so after they had started   
moving. Then there was the problem of seating arrangements. A little hard   
to choose, trying to fit eight people in, but Liona and Prism both had   
insisted the twins stay. So Ron and Hermione ended up across from each   
other, closest to the corridor partition, with Harry, Prism, and George dow  
n from her and Lance, Liona, and Fred the same on Ron's side.  
"So," began Harry, "What is this Spirit-Song place you were talking to   
Hermione about, Liona? If you went to a magic school before, wouldn't you   
already have a wand?"  
"Well... no." She returned. "Spirit-Song... well, it focuses more on   
other magical items than wands. I think that Windplanet -one of the   
founders- didn't like wands very much or something."  
"So what did you use?" Ron asked in awe.  
"Oh... lots of things."  
"Jewels." Prism piped up. "Jewels and orbs and medallions-"  
"All manner of herbs." Lance interjected. "The potions classes were   
murder..."  
"Some things that were really weird..." Prism wrinkled her nose. "All the   
totem poles..."  
"Oh, and the tribal masks and coins!" Liona smiled at the memory.  
"And the 'Mouth of Truth', that thing was bloody scary!" Lance added.  
"But I think the favorite was the staffs. Those and candles were the   
schoolwide preference. I myself had an apple wood." She paused. "Those or   
the Djinni." Hermione perked up even more.  
"Djinni? Those faerie things?" Prism nodded.  
"They were a requirement. We all have ours if you want to see them..."  
"Aren't they supposed to be wary of strangers?" Prism laughed.  
"Heck no! Mine just don't like Liona's and vice versa." The twin girls   
burst into laughter. "Okay... okay..." Prism gasped for breath. "Luff,   
Breeze, Daina, come here!" Three small creatures suddenly apparated into   
her lap. Everybody except Prism, Lance and Liona stared in awe. They were   
the Muggle view of small faeries, wings and all. "These are Luff and   
Breeze the Jupiters." Prism motioned to the light blue ones, "And Daina   
the Luna." the silver.  
"They're pretty cute." George commented.  
"Could I hold one?" Fred asked breathlessly. Prism shrugged.  
"You could try. They most likely won't-yea, see how she's moving away?   
You do the same. How about one of Liona's?"  
"Hmm... I don't know. Maybe... Mint, come!" A gold Djinn appeared in her   
hand. "Mint's a Sol. They usually like people. She's a bit more promising   
than an aloof Jupiter, at any rate." He reached out again, and the little   
gold faerie sniffed at his hand and reached out with one of her tiny arms.   
Liona smiled. "See?" She said a bit quietly, "She just gave you permission   
to touch her." With one finger, shaking slightly, he stroked the minute   
creature's hair. She let out a tiny purr-like sound. Crookshanks opened   
one eye and kept it on Mint.  
It was such a scene that Malfoy was greeted by in fifteen minutes' time:   
Liona and Fred leaning close together, examining something in her hands;   
Prism entertaining George and Harry with her Djinni; Lance explaining   
about Spirit-Song to Hermione, who looked ecstatic, and Ron, who looked   
vaguley bored. Malfoy just sort of looked from one side to the other with   
a puzzled expression on his face for almost a minute before anybody   
noticed. A ring of nudges and 'look up there's later, they were all   
staring at him. From the look he had, it appeared he was considering just   
leaving.  
"Malfoy?" Liona half-asked.  
"Potter, Weasleys. Liona." Harry wondered if Malfoy had been in the sun   
too long and gotten the faint pink tinge of a sunburn as it appeared.   
There was a long moment of silence. Liona crossed her arms and smirked.  
"Going to say anything?" He appeared slightly taken aback.  
"I..." he pursed his lips, eyes fixed on Liona as if trying to conjure a   
comeback but failing miserably. "I think you dropped this at Diagon Alley.   
Clumsy. It was inbetween my books when I got home." He held out a gold and   
ruby star charm on a chain. Liona took it slowly, as if trying not to   
excite an animal or small child. "I have... no need for such things."  
"Well, thank you. I have missed it."  
"You're far too careless to be a proper witch."  
"I know." Liona replied certainly, fixing him with an unmoving stare of   
her own. "I suppose I should watch out for my posessions more closely.   
Like you, maybe?" She tossed his Hogwarts badge at him, which he caught   
with shock in his cold eyes.  
"Well..."  
"Maybe you're too quick to judge people for you to be a good wizard." He   
swallowed.  
"I... need to be going now." He turned on his heel.  
"Watch for one of us in Slytherin!" Liona called out right as he closed   
the door. There was a long, very silent moment.  
"Are we sure that was Malfoy?" Ron finally asked. "That wasn't some kind   
of mirage?" Fred and George shrugged, Hermione shook her head with a frown.  
"Did you notice... I think he got sunburned." Harry said quickly. Ron   
snorted a laugh.  
"Are you serious?"  
"You thought he was a bit -pink- too?" George asked in an amused manner.   
Harry nodded.  
"He didn't have Crabbe or Goyle either." Hermione added.  
"What do you know... he didn't, did he?" Harry replied. Everyone sunk   
into deep thought. Harry wasn't the only one who was wondering why Malfoy   
was acting oddly. After all, he had hardly given second thought to Harry   
and Ron, and didn't give a first one to Hermione. Speaking of giving... he   
had returned that expensive-looking necklace to Liona. Normally he would   
have pocketed it, as Harry and Ron learned in their second year when   
disguised as Crabbe and Goyle by way of Polyjuice potion. A low chatter   
rose up before long, the main focus of which was Liona and Prism   
explaining to Harry, Fred, and George what kind of magic they learned at   
Spirit-Song.  
"Well... not many things that would be quite safe to use here." Liona   
commented. "However," she shared a mischevious glance with Prism, "We   
could show you a little."   
"Growth, maybe?" Prism suggested.  
"We'd need a plant."  
"Gaia, then?"  
"What are you out to do, knock the train off the tracks?" Prism blushed.   
Liona smiled. "How about you Bind and I'll Frost?"  
"Fine. Luff,"  
"Mint,"  
"...my staff!" Said Djinni dissappeared, and moments later reappeared   
with two large, wooden staves. Liona and Prism each caught one and took a   
ready stance.  
"Bind!"  
"Frost!" Jets of icy water flew from Liona's staff and reflected off   
Prism's invisible sheild onto the floor. Hermione looked over with intrest   
from her and Ron's conversation.   
"Frost? That's all you have to say?" The triplets nodded.  
"Is there something wrong with that?" Lance asked, scrunching his   
eyebrows. Hermione glanced from the annoyed Lance to Liona, who was drying   
the puddle with a jet of flame from the back of her left hand, and back to   
Lance again.  
"The words were just... so simple. And why does it work without a wand?"  
"Professor Blackfire always used to say that wands and staves and runes   
were only conductors for magic--the real magic came from inside." Prism   
recited. She looked back at Liona, who had retracted the flame into her   
hand and was back on the seat. The twins were glancing at her hand every   
few seconds.  
"What's that on your hand?"  
"Mine?" Liona asked and held it out. "Sowulo." Hermione traced the rune   
with her eyes. It was shaped like the letter z, only on it's side. Up   
close, it looked to be not tatooed, but engraved into her hand. It was   
quite a sight -an almost sickening one- to behold for the three youngest   
wizards.   
"And why, perchance, have you got the rune Sowulo on your left hand?"   
Liona faded a bit.  
"It was put there when I was a baby." Hermione put a loose fist under her   
chin and seemed to be recalling some important information from the depths   
of her mind. However, she never got to ask the question she appeared to be   
wanting to, as by the time she came out of her thoughts with a logical   
answer, conversation had already started up again. Harry could almost feel   
her stewing in her little corner, and he could tell Ron felt the same.   
Every now and again, she would shift, as if uncomfortable, and let out a   
small huff. After the tenth or so time, he turned to her.  
"Ok, what's going on with you?" He whispered so nobody else would hear.  
"That girl... she's not telling us something."  
"So she's not telling us something. She only met you today."  
"But... look at the runes she has. Sowulo, it's a rune of power and the   
sun. Algiz -on her right hand- is an energy and rainbow conductor. And-"   
Harry was giving her an odd look. "What?"  
"Did you say a rainbow conductor?" Hermione nodded. "At Diagon Alley,   
when she was picking her wand, a rainbow came out of it. Could that have   
anything to do with those runes?"  
"Yes, that would make perfect sense. Oh yes, and look at her now. Look   
very carefully." Harry turned to Liona, who was laughing at something. She   
looked odd, he could tell, but not why. Suddenly, it hit him. She was   
translucent. "You see? It's because of that rune on her cheek--Dagaz. It   
grants invisibility." There was a knock on the door of the compartment   
(Prism and Liona jumped) and it opened to reveal a somewhat short, pudgy   
boy with worried brown eyes.  
"Hullo, Neville." Ron greeted. "How'r you?"  
"Oh, alright. Dosen't look like there's any extra room in here, though.   
Sorry." He turned to go, but George stood up.  
"That's alright. Me and Fred need to go find Lee. You can sit here."  
"Are you sure you have to go?" Prism asked, eyes pleading.   
"Sorry. We haven't seen him since last year." The twins went into the   
corridor as Neville took a seat between Liona and Lance. "See you at   
dinner!" Everybody waved goodbye, and then looked at Neville. He was   
looking at Liona, Lance, and Prism.  
"Oh! Sorry, I'm Prism Coldflame that's my brother Lance, and-" Liona gave   
her a hard look, then softened her expression and smiled at Neville.  
"I'm Liona Coldflame." Her words had a gentle undertone the others hadn't   
heard from her before. "Who are you?" He turned scarlet.  
"I'm Neville." He mumbled to his feet. "Neville Longbottom."  
"So what's up, Neville?" Harry asked. "You didn't look too happy when you   
got here." Neville sighed.  
"Oh, Trevor went missing this summer and never came back again. Worst   
part is, I didn't even lose him. Gran took him to the vet and he got away."  
"Oh, Neville, I'm sorry." Hermione murmured sympathetically. He looked   
down and jumped. A different golden Djinn was clinging on his shirt,   
looking up at him curiously. Liona reached over and scooped her off.  
"Miruki, don't do that, now. I don't think he's ever seen an overfriendly   
Djinn before. Try to behave, like Mint." Mint stuck her tounge out at   
Miruki. "However, that means you have to behave too." The tiny creature   
turned her back sulkily and disapparated.  
"How did you get Djinni?" Neville asked, surprising the three that knew   
him. "They're supposed to be really hard to catch." Miruki was climbing   
onto Neville's hand while Liona was preoccupied.  
"They were a requirement for our old school." Prism interjected.   
"Everyone had to have at least three."  
"This one's really funny." Miruki had lain down on her back on his hand   
and was fluttering her wings. "Hey," he laughed, "that tickles." The lunch   
candy cart rolled up to the door.  
"Anything for you?" Harry and Liona both stood and went out. Liona not   
before asking if Neville could handle Miruki, though.  
"I haven't seen this much wizard candy in a long time." Liona said,   
smiling happily.  
"Didn't you have wizard candy at Spirit-Song?" Harry asked.  
"Not like this. The american wizard candy is nowhere near as fun as all   
this." Once they finally went back into the compartment, Harry had a big   
stack of cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties, while Liona had a rather   
random assortment of other candies, purposely excluding chocolate frogs.   
Miruki had managed to get up on Neville's shoulders, and was flitting to   
and fro, avoiding his hands.  
"Come here, Miruki." Liona called, holding up a Bertie Bott's Every   
Flavor Bean. Miruki darted to her, grabbed the yellow bean, and went back   
to sit on Neville's shoulder. "Well, you are so greedy today, aren't you?"  
"Your Djinn not behaving, sis?" Lance laughed.  
"She's being quite the little bugger." Liona replied, but smiled.   
"Jellybean, Neville?"  
"Thankyou." He stumbled over the words again, and took a few. Hermione   
was watching this little exchange intently. Her eyes betrayed more than   
annoyance, but showed slight jealousy too. There was no reason for ner not   
to be jealous, either. Liona had, in the last few hours, attracted two   
very sweet boys without even apparently trying or exerting energy of any   
kind towards such. That was when a startling thought occured to   
her--perhaps sunburn was not the source of redness in a certain Slytherin.   
She shook the thought from her head as well as she could, even though Ron   
was giving her an odd stare.  
"What have you been thinking about over there?" He asked. "You've been   
red, white, upset and uncomfortable and now I'm getting curious!"  
"Sorry, sorry. I'm just..." she met his gaze, but looked away. "...going   
to go change into my robes. Be right back." Ron watched her go with a   
small sadness. Harry shook his head and shoved a pasty at his friend.  
"Come on, you can't be upset before we've even gotten there. It's too   
early, and not even allowed."  
"Harry?"  
"Yea?"  
"Thanks." 


End file.
